In the back room, Nangong Ao was curled up on the bed, his face as pale as paper, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. He gripped the sheets tightly with both hands, his knuckles turning white from the force, and he made a hoarse breathing sound as if he were enduring a thousand cuts.
"Ao'er!" Nangong Wentian rushed to the bedside, his rough hands pressing down on his grandson's trembling shoulders. "What happened?"
The Shangguan family doctor, his forehead beaded with cold sweat, stammered, "Just... just a moment ago he was fine, then suddenly..." He gestured, "It felt like something exploded inside his body..."
Nangong Wentian's hawk-like eyes widened: "Explain yourself!"
"Well..." the doctor wiped his sweat, "it seemed like a flash of silvery-blue light. I thought I was seeing things, but then the young master..."
Silver-blue? A thunderbolt seemed to explode in Nangong Wentian's mind—Han Feng! Wasn't that the very light that shone in that little bastard's eyes?
Without a word, he placed his palm on Nangong Ao's dantian, channeling a stream of pure internal energy into his grandson's meridians. Wherever the energy passed, a horrifying scene unfolded in Nangong Wentian's sea of consciousness—the once unobstructed meridians were now like a parched, cracked riverbed, riddled with gruesome breaks. Even more terrifying, a silver-blue energy, like a bone-corroding poison, ravaged the meridians, extinguishing all life wherever it went!
"Ah!!" Nangong Ao suddenly arched his body and let out a scream that was not human, and then fainted.
Nangong Wentian's hand was shaken away, his old face contorted into a hideous grimace. He could clearly see that after completing its destruction, the silver-blue energy was dissipating into specks of starlight—this was clearly a sophisticated technique controlled remotely!
"Han! Feng!" Nangong Wentian squeezed out the name through gritted teeth, his robes fluttering even without wind, and his aura as a cultivator at the Innate Realm made the furniture in the room vibrate.
Forced back by the oppressive aura, the doctor knocked over the medicine cabinet. Bottles and jars shattered on the floor, filling the air with a rich medicinal aroma, but unable to conceal the overwhelming murderous intent within the room.
"Patriarch Nangong..." The doctor pointed tremblingly at Nangong Ao, "Young Master Nangong's meridians..."
"Completely severed!" Nangong Wentian roared, his voice shaking the windowpanes. His eyes were bloodshot, like an enraged lion. "The only son of my Nangong family, passed down through three generations! The foundation built up over twelve years of arduous cultivation!"
He whirled around and smashed the mahogany door open with a single blow: "Han Feng! I will never forgive you!"
This roar, imbued with innate internal energy, resounded throughout the Shangguan residence like thunder. The people confronting each other in the front hall changed color simultaneously, and Shangguan Ce's expression changed even more, his feet unconsciously taking half a step towards the backyard.
"Brother Shangguan, where are you going?" Zhang Jingcheng calmly blocked Shangguan Ce's path. "This is a matter between the Nangong family and Han Feng; let them resolve it themselves."
Dongfang Lin chimed in with a smile, "Old Nangong has always had a loud voice; perhaps he's just surprised?"
Only Han Feng remained seated in his armchair, leisurely peeling an orange. His slender fingers tore through the peel, releasing tiny drops of juice that glistened in the sunlight. He broke off a segment and popped it into his mouth, squinting his eyes to savor the sweet taste, as if the distant, murderous roar was nothing more than the chirping of cicadas in summer.
"Hmm, the tangerines I bought are indeed quite good." Han Feng broke off another segment, admiring the translucent flesh against the sunlight. "Old Zhang, Grandpa Dongfang, would you like to try some?"
Zhang Jingcheng's lips twitched, barely suppressing a laugh: "That's fine then, let me try it."
Shangguan Ce was so angry at Han Feng's appearance that his beard trembled. How could he not see that this young man was deliberately putting on a show for him! But with the two family heads blocking his way, he didn't even have a chance to retaliate.
"Get out of the way!" Another furious roar came from the backyard, followed by the thud of a guard falling to the ground. Clearly, the enraged head of the Nangong family was trying to force his way in.
Han Feng finally finished the last segment of orange, clapped his hands, and stood up: "It seems Senior Nangong is quite angry." A flash of silver-blue light appeared in his eyes. "How about I go and... cool him down?"
These words, spoken casually, sent a jolt through Shangguan Ce's heart. He suddenly realized that this seemingly lazy young man had been calculating every step of the way since he stepped into the Nangong family!
"Han Feng, wait a moment." Dongfang Lin suddenly grabbed Han Feng's shoulder and whispered, "Old man Nangong is, after all, the head of the family, you..."
"Don't worry, Patriarch Dongfang," Han Feng interrupted with a smile, his voice barely audible to those nearby. "I only crippled Nangong Ao's meridians; I didn't take his life." He blinked. "After all... a dead man can't be used as bait."
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Ce's pupils contracted sharply. He turned sharply towards the backyard, a terrifying thought forming in his mind—was Han Feng deliberately provoking Nangong Wentian?
Just then, a dark figure crashed down from the front yard like a cannonball, landing heavily in the center of the hall. Upon closer inspection, everyone saw that it was a guard from the Nangong family, coughing up blood, clearly seriously injured.
Nangong Wentian has gone mad, even implicating his own guards.
"Han Feng! Get out here for me!" Nangong Wentian's figure appeared at the courtyard gate, surrounded by a visible crimson aura, causing the bluestone slabs to crack wherever he passed.
Han Feng stood up and said calmly, "Nangong Wentian, why are you calling me so loudly? What's the matter?"
"You secretly used underhanded means to destroy all of my grandson's meridians. How cruel! Today I will kill you to avenge my Ao'er!" Nangong Wentian roared.
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Ce frowned and said in a deep voice, "Han Feng, you actually used such despicable means to persecute a disciple of an ancient martial arts family. You must give an explanation today, or my Shangguan family will not let you off the hook!"
Before Han Feng could speak, Zhang Jingcheng, who was not far away, said, "Old thief Shangguan, you must be senile. Han Feng is not from an ancient martial arts family, and ancient martial arts families cannot participate in worldly affairs. This matter is between the Nangong family and Han Feng. Does your Shangguan family intend to violate the agreement between the families?"
Zhang Jingcheng's words left Shangguan Ce speechless for a moment. He had originally intended to use this opportunity to suppress Han Feng, but he did not expect that the Dongfang family and the Zhang family would stand up for Han Feng at the same time.
At this moment, Han Feng slowly said, "Nangong Wentian, you keep saying that I destroyed your grandson's meridians, do you have any evidence? If you don't have any evidence, be careful I'll sue you for defamation."
"You're accusing me of defamation?" Nangong Wentian laughed in fury, crimson energy surging around him, searing spiderweb-like cracks into the blue bricks beneath his feet. "What a sharp-tongued little beast!"
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